Thread: Some thoughts on taping and stropping

The HHT is a diagnostic tool but not 100%. You have to make sure your edge is smooth and straight. A wire edge or a toothy edge can catch a hair and pop it leading you to think it passed. The shave you get then is rough and irritating if it shaves at all.

I use HHT as a tool. After everything looks good and I feel the blade is ready I will take my wife's baby fine hair (I don't have hair on my head anymore) and test the blade the entire length. I look for a clean effortless severing from heel to toe. This confirms to me that the edge is capable of cutting hair.

Here's the thing though- your blade can pass HHT after stropping from as "low" as 1k grit! I HHT after each stone and if I get it all the way up it is almost 100% that I will get a great shave! The BEVEL is your edge all else is comfort and polish IMHO


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I don't think you should be removing the tape part of the way through your progression. While noted that this is only a minute difference in angle, it's still a difference. I've seen people put a piece of tape on at the end to create a microbevel, but the other way around is probably not advantageous and your results will likely be hard to duplicate.
As for the stropping creating anything but a smooth and clean edge? I think you're looking a little too far into it

If on your second attempt you taped the spine just for the bevel set 3K hone, then removed it for the rest of the hones you would have had to do extra work to actually set a new bevel. By removing the tape the extra work comes in because you have to recut the shoulder of the bevel back a small amount in order for the edge to get in contact with hone again. If you did not notice that it just goes to show how small a difference using 1 layer of tape really makes to a bevel angle. It works but still makes no difference in get a bevel properly set tape or no tape.

Bob

"It just goes to show how how small a difference…"

Exactly! I now use tape all the way through and don't retape for touch ups. Using a marker and magnification I have confirmed that just 30 laps on a my finishing stone (black Arkansas) removes the difference. It is THAT small of a difference. Barely noticeable except on the wear it saves the spine on the initial honing.